The Armenian government has proposed voting in favor of the bill titled “On launching the process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union.” Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan stated this during a parliamentary discussion on the bill.

He clarified that adopting the bill does not constitute an application for EU membership. According to him, the document is intended to reinforce relations with the European Union, elevate Armenia’s approaches, and reflect the aspirations of its citizens, Armenpress reports.

“The bill also aligns with Armenia’s balanced and diversification-oriented foreign policy, which aims to expand economic and security cooperation. In this context, one should also consider the unprecedented dynamic in Armenia-EU relations in recent years, which has manifested in nearly all areas of cooperation,” Hovhannisyan emphasized.

The deputy minister highlighted key achievements in Armenia-EU relations over the past years.

“In September 2024, dialogue on visa liberalization with the EU officially began. Technical negotiations are currently underway between the parties. Meanwhile, discussions are ongoing regarding a document titled ‘Armenia-European Union Partnership: A New Agenda,’ which will further expand and deepen cooperation under the existing Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Armenia and the EU. Essentially, these two documents will serve as the legal and political foundation for the Armenia-EU partnership,” he said.

According to him, Armenia attaches great importance to the effective implementation of the CEPA and is working closely with the EU in this regard.

“Armenia has been included in the European Peace Facility, a significant political decision by the EU. Since 2022, the EU Civilian Monitoring Mission has been stationed in Armenia, proving to be a pillar of stability in the region. Recently, the EU Council decided to extend the mission’s mandate for another two years. The European Union remains Armenia’s largest development cooperation donor and a key supporter of its reforms. Under the ‘Resilience and Growth’ program, Armenia has been allocated financial support for the next four years and is the only non-candidate country to benefit from this initiative. The EU continues to be Armenia’s primary partner in fostering institutions based on shared values. The EU-supported reforms aim to strengthen human rights, the rule of law, effective governance, and anti-corruption efforts,” Hovhannisyan noted.

On February 11, the Armenian National Assembly convened its regular session, with eight items on the agenda, including the bill on launching the EU accession process.

On January 9, the Armenian government approved the bill on initiating the EU accession process, submitted by the ‘Eurovote’ civic initiative. The bill is set to be discussed in the Armenian parliament soon.